A truly refractory crucible from fourth millennium Tepe Hissar, Northeast Iran

From the Early Chalcolithic to the Late Iron Age, melting and smelting crucibles were usually made from non-refractory ceramic fabrics, which required heating of the charge from within the crucible to avoid collapsing the ceramic itself. In this paper, an unusual melting crucible from Northeast Iran, radiocarbon-dated to the Late Chalcolithic (ca. 3600 BCE), will be presented that significantly changes our understanding of the development of technical ceramics in Southwest Asia. This crucible, made of a highly refractory talc-based ceramic held together by an outer layer of traditional non-refractory ceramic, is to our knowledge unprecedented at such an early date. As will be argued, this ancient crucible was heated from the exterior or from below and not from the interior. This method of firing, combined with the highly-specialized construction technique, makes this crucible so far unique in prehistoric metallurgy, and forces us to re-examine traditional models for the development of technical ceramics and metallurgical practices in the Old World.     

一批中国古代镶嵌玻璃珠化学成分的检测报告

结合外束质子激发X荧光（proton induced X-ray emission,PIXE）和能量色散X射线荧光（energy dispersive X-ray emission,EDXRF）分析技术,对中国新疆、湖北、四川、广东出土的古代镶嵌玻璃珠的化学成分进行了检测.结果表明：新疆拜城克孜尔墓地出土的西周-春秋时期镶嵌玻璃珠为CaO-MgO-SiO2玻璃,战国时期中国境内的PbO-BaO-SiO2和Na2O-CaO-SiO2镶嵌玻璃珠是同时存在的.本文亦对相关问题进行了一些讨论,并提出了部分今后的工作建议.     

The coloured glass of Iulia Felix

Research on the cargo of glass in the Roman ship Iulia Felix, wrecked off the town of Grado (province of Udine, North Italy) in the first half of the 3rd century AD and composed of recycling cullet carefully selected for colour and type, provided much information on Roman glass production technology. A combined approach, involving analytical, statistical, and archaeological evidence, included chemical analyses (X-ray fluorescence, electron microprobe), which indicated that the coloured samples were all soda-lime-silica in composition, with natron as flux, although cluster analysis identified many compositional groups. Comparisons among the compositional groups of the colourless glass, previously studied, and those of coloured glass showed that the production technologies of the colourless glass vessels constitute two well-defined technological end-members, also related to group types, into which those of the coloured glass samples fall. In particular, coloured glass samples—all bottles, low-status vessels—were produced with mainly beach siliceous-feldspar-calcareous sand. However, unlike the colourless type, strict control of raw materials and decolourising processes was not adopted, and recycling was also practised, as demonstrated by the Sb₂O₃, Cu and Pb patterns. In this context, a “recycling index” (RI)—[(Sb₂O₃)_X/(Sb₂O₃)_Ref] * 100—is proposed here for the first time, in order to quantify the extent of recycling of antimony colourless glass in the batch. RI is valid for glass containing abundant Sb from an end-member of colourless glass. In conclusion, although it cannot be stated unequivocally that the identified compositional trends are related to different production centres or different raw materials, the strong evidence of compositional variability among all the Iulia Felix glass samples, both colourless and coloured, supports the dispersed production model for Roman glassware and the common practice of recycling in Roman imperial times, especially for low-status vessels.     

广西越州故城遗址玻璃珠饰的科学研究

本研究利用能量色散型X射线荧光光谱分析、共聚焦激光拉曼光谱分析、光学相干层析成像、超景深光学显微观测等多种方法对广西越州故城遗址出土的印度-太平洋玻璃珠饰进行科技分析,获取了玻璃珠的化学成分、物相结构、内部物理结构、表面显微形貌等综合物理化学信息,确定了玻璃珠的玻璃体系、制作工艺(着色工艺、成形工艺)和产地来源,探讨了以丝绸之路为主线的国内发现魏晋南北朝时期印度-太平洋玻璃珠可能的输入路线。广西越州故城遗址发现的印度-太平洋玻璃珠为中外文明交流提供了新实物证据,对深入研究我国南北朝时期中外文明交流具有十分重要的学术价值和研究意义。     

秦始皇帝陵园出土彩绘青铜水禽铜矿料来源探索

关于秦始皇帝陵出土彩绘青铜水禽铜矿料来源的研究,对进一步研究秦代的物质文化、青铜器冶铸工艺、装饰工艺以及铜矿来源均具有重要意义。本研究对部分秦始皇帝陵园出土彩绘青铜水禽基体进行了铅同位素分析及微量元素分析。并在此基础之上,与甘肃东部及关中西部出土的部分早期秦文化铜器、国墓地出土的部分铜器、周原李家铸铜作坊出土的部分铜器、山西中条山、江西瑞昌、江西铜岭、安徽铜陵以及湖北大冶铜绿山古铜矿以及秦岭山区的部分现代铜矿的相关数据进行了对比研究。结果发现,秦始皇帝陵园出土的青铜水禽使用了相同的矿料,且与绝大多数早期秦文化铜器所使用的矿料基本相同,但与国墓地以及李家铸铜作坊出土西周铜器的矿料明显有别。秦人使用的铜矿与秦岭山区现代铜矿较为接近,表明秦人的铜矿来源可能与秦岭山区有关。     

A Technological Study of the Elamite Polychrome Glazed Bricks at Susa,South‐Western Iran

This study investigated the technological features of the Neo‐Elamite glazed bricks discovered at the Acropolis of Susa, south‐western Iran, by conducting micro‐Raman spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetry (DTA/TG), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy–energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS). The results showed that calcium antimonate white and lead antimonate yellow were used as opacifiers in the white, yellow and green glazes, and that green and turquoise glazes were achieved using copper. Coloured glazes were separated by a Si‐rich brown glaze to prevent them from running together during firing. The glazed bricks most probably were not fired at temperatures higher than 900°C.     

基于多元统计分析方法对一批中国南方和西南地区的古玻璃成分的研究

采用多元统计方法对四川、重庆、贵州、广西、广东地区出土的100余个古玻璃样品的化学成分数据进行了分析处理。结果表明:中国南方和西南地区的古玻璃制品主要由具有中国特色的铅钡硅酸盐玻璃和钾硅酸盐玻璃组成,可细分为五大系统类别:K2O CaO(~10wt%)SiO2系统、K2O SiO2系统、PbO BaO SiO2系统、PbO(~25wt%)BaO SiO2系统、CaO PbO(~40wt%)BaO SiO2系统。用因子分析探讨了我国汉代南方和西南地区的玻璃本地生产情况,表明该地区在汉代已经拥有自主生产古玻璃的能力。实验结果和实验数据处理方法对研究古代丝绸之路上古玻璃的生产和技术交流提供了新途径。     

在硫代硫酸钠—醋酸铅双组分体系中黄铜器表面着色的动力学研究

通过调整流代硫酸钠一醋酸铅双组分试液的不同浓度比以及控制着色温度、试液酸度和着色时间,确定黄铜试样表面着以不同颜色的条件。用x射线衍射方法测定不同颜色表面膜的成分,并对膜形成的动力学进行了探讨．为研究黄铜着色提供了一种新的方法。     

Islamic glass in the Christian Kingdom of Alwa: Chemistry of shards from Soba,Nubia, Sudan

Excavations at Soba, the capital of Alwa, between 2019 and 2022 yielded more than 30 glass fragments in addition to a glass cosmetic bottle. An analysis of 30 glass samples has identified glass belonging to a number of compositional groups. The majority of fragments were made of plant ash-soda glass produced in the Middle East (Iran, Iraq) between the 9th and 10th centuries, and in the Eastern Mediterranean (Levant and Egypt) between the mid-10th and mid-12th centuries. Seven fragments were made of mineral–soda-lime glass produced in 9th-century Egypt and three high-lead glasses find analogies in the 9th- to 11th-century glass. Archeological evidence, as well as textual sources, leave no doubt about Alwa’s intense transcultural connections. This article provides the first insight into the chemistry of glass shards from medieval Nubia, and the results of analysis contribute to evidence for long-distance contacts of Soba, the capital of one of the medieval kingdoms of Sahelian Africa.     

Chemical Analyses of Sarmatian Glass Beads from Pokrovka, Russia

The chemical composition of 18 glass beads from Early Sarmatian period burials were determined using electron probe microbeam analysis and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence. The beads were made from high-magnesia-soda-lime-silica glass, leaded-soda-lime-silica glass, low-magnesia-soda-lime-silica glass and low-magnesia-high-potash glass. Multivariate analysis of the major oxides suggests that there are five distinct glass recipes used to manufacture these beads. These various glass recipes indicate the involvement of the Sarmatians in exchange/trade networks linking the Eastern Mediterranean, the Indian subcontinent, and China.